Try And Stop Me
by WiselyWritten
Summary: In which James shows off his flying skills in a midnight date with Lily, and Gryffindor win the Quidditch finals. (Jily Drabble)


Try And Stop Me

"You've gone and done it now, Prongs." Sirius remarked through his hidden- though entirely obvious- smirk as Lily Evans stormed towards them through the corridor. In James's defence, it probably had _not_ been the best idea to prank Snivellus (He could hear Lily screaming "It's _Severus_ you prat!" in the back of his mind, but it wasn't as though he cared what that stupid snake's name was anyway) ... but then again, what harm had he done, really?

"Hello, Evans. Looking wonderful today-," She smacked him upside the head.

"You utter prat, James Potter! Why do you have to be such an ass!?" James grinned.

"Snivellus alright then?"

" _His name is Severus_ , you stupid prick!" Sirius chuckled beside James and Lily glared at him too.

"Bet you were in on it as well, then, Sirius? Bet you think it's downright funny."

"Hilarious, rather." Sirius, obviously, was not good with his taste in words, since hellfire seemed to erupt within Lily's green orbs. He hastily motioned to James. "I- uh- have something to do. See you around, Prongs, Evans." He turned to leave.

"Sirius?" Lily murmured, rather sweetly. Sirius turned his head back to catch her eyes. Her voice became cold as ice. "If I find you at the scene of one more prank on Severus, then, I swear, I will hex you until you plead for death. Got it?" He grinned.

"Certainly, oh powerful one." With a chuckle, he was striding down the corridor and away from James and Lily.

"Some mate you are!" James called after him. Sirius turned back with a smirk.

"Your girl obsession, your problem, mate." James turned back to Lily with a hefty sigh. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes dimmed somewhat.

"So, I'm an _obsession_ , am I?" Lily picked at her nails and shot James a look that he knew meant he was probably going to be in a lot of trouble, but she'd eventually forgive him (Like she always did).

"An obsession? Nah," James ran a hand through his already long since tousled hair and grinned at her through his specs. "More like an angel." Lily snorted.

"Clearly. It shows in how you torture my friends."

"He was asking for it-,"

"Doesn't mean you _give_ it to him, James."

"I could give a lot of things to _you_." He suggested with a lopsided grin, his eyebrows raising in a mock manner. Lily groaned and rubbed her face with her hands.

"I swear, making you be sensible for a moment is near impossible!"

"I'm being entirely serious."

"Severus didn't deserve what you did to him." Lily cut in hastily.

"He hexed me first, so I figured, why not repay the favour?" Her eyes widened somewhat.

"Sev hexed you.. _first_? Without reason?" James chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sure there was reason in there somewhere." She smiled slightly at him, a small upturn of her lips.

"Excuse me for a moment while I go uppercut another idiot. They seem to flock to me." And she turned on her heels and headed for the hospital wing.

"I'll be in the common room if you need me." James called after her. She turned her head with a sweet smile.

"I'm sure I won't."

~o~

Courting Lily -or attempting to- was James's favourite pastime, it seemed. And no matter how she turned him down, he'd always see the small twinkle in her eyes and turn back for more. Today proved to be no exception. He flopped down on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, taking the seat next to Lily who was sat reading her book.

"How's Snive- I mean, Snape, then?" Lily turned her eyes to him over her book with a disapproving look.

"I really doubt you care, Potter." James ran his hand through his hair and Lily had to hold herself back from following the same path through his jet black locks.

"True," He grinned easily. "But _you_ care and I care about you, so I'm asking." Lily's cheeks went a light shade of pink and she frowned against her growing smile. She turned her eyes back to her book.

"I might have struck him..." She trailed off and James burst into peals of laughter.

"That's amazing, Evans."

"No it isn't!" Lily said hastily. "He was being a jerk about you and so, instinctively, I struck him across the cheek and shouted at him." James readjusted his glasses and smirked.

"So, you were defending my honour?" Lily opened her mouth but seemed to be at a loss for words. "What did he say about me, out of mere curiosity?" Lily's lips set in a thin line.

"If I tell you, remember that the damage is done, OK?" James nodded once and raised his hand, the other resting upon his heart.

"I solemnly swear that I will not, on the name of all that is good, -which would be you, Lily Evans- harm Snivellus Snake for the bastard he may or may not be."

"Severus Snape." She corrected.

"That's what I said." Lily took a breath and listed off the rude remarks Snape had made about James. "- And then he said that you were never going to be good enough for me, and that's when I hit him."

"And your reply was?" Lily pressed her lips together and glanced at him.

"I'll tell you another day. When you've earned it, perhaps." He brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear and pressed a chaste kiss to her earlobe, leaving her pink as he stood up.

"Oh, I'll earn it, alright."

"Might need some Liquid Luck there, Potter." She murmured through her blush and James laughed.

"Are you saying that you _want_ me to succeed so desperately, Lily?"

"Tosser." Lily grumbled.

"I don't blame you for wanting all this," He motioned to himself. "I'm rather irresistible." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Go play with yourself, Potter."

"So suggestive, Evans." He winked and disappeared into the boys dormitories.

~o~

"So, Evans, go on a date with me?" James asked for the umpteenth time since meeting Lily, leaning over the table to prod at her back. She shrugged him off.

"Lay off it, Potter." James grinned.

"Would you be so kind as to help me with my potion then?" Lily turned, frowning, and looked at his and Sirius's table which was in complete disarray. Remus turned to look as well, chuckling at the sight of black soot covering Sirius's face.

"So that was your potion that blew up then, Padfoot."

"Piss off, Moony, you bloody perfectionist."

"I'm not nearly as good as Lily here."

"True," James cut in, running a hand through his hair. "She's way better looking than you are, Moony."

"Seriously, Potter, I dare you to go one class without making some smarmy compliment about my beauty." Lily murmured, trying to be disapproving through her short giggle and failing miserably.

"You know you love those so-called 'smarmy compliments', my dear."

"Prongs, you're stooping so low as to call her 'my dear'? Who are you?" Sirius waved his hand in front of James's face.

"I'm lovestruck James Potter, pleasure." James joked, shaking Sirius's hand mockingly. Lily smiled for a mere moment before-

"I hope we're talking about relative things here, Potter, Black, Lupin, and, most surprisingly, Miss Evans." Slughorn tapped his wand against Lily and Remus's table, making the four teens jump. Lily laughed nervously.

"Absolutely Professor." Slughorn studied his brightest student curiously.

"Care to enlighten me, perhaps, in what you were discussing?" Lily glanced around the group and everyone blinked back at her. She was the brightest, she should come up with the excuse.

"Potter was asking me how to make Felix Felicis, Professor."

"That was your potion of choice, Potter? Why would that be?"

"Because he finds himself incompetent and he figured Liquid Luck would be his best bet." Lily answered easily, earning an eyebrow raise from James and Slughorn. He turned to James.

"Is that right, Potter?" Slughorn asked amusedly.

"Well, might it be of interest to you to know what Evans is making, Professor?" James's lips turned upwards into a lopsided grin and Lily cast him a warning glare. Slughorn thought about it for a moment.

"Enlighten me."

"A Love Potion, Professor."

"James!" Lily hissed under her breath, earning a smirk from James himself. Slughorn looked between the two of them and shook his head, sighing.

"Ah, to be youthful." He murmured, striding away. Lily glared at James and he shrugged.

"An eye for an eye, Evans."

"From the sound of it, and the obvious courting, I'd hardly say she'd need a Love Potion for you, Prongs," Remus smiled. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."

"Tell me what you're making," Lily murmured quietly to James. "I'll help you out." James smiled at Remus and Sirius who was working intently on trying _not_ to blow up his Pompion Potion.

"I'd rather say I beg to differ, Moony."

"Five seconds, Potter. Tell me what you're making."

"OK, OK, a Veritaserum." Lily frowned.

"I hope you don't plan on giving that to me, James." James grinned.

"Can't now, can I? It was either I try and make it on my own, ask Remus, or get you to help me and flirt to my heart's desire. Clearly, I've made my choice." He turned to Sirius and elbowed him. "Go sit by Moony, Padfoot, I've got a date with destiny."

"One more flirtatious comment and you'll have a date with the nurse." Lily muttered as Sirius swapped seats with Lily and whispered to Remus.

"Five galleons says that James tries to snog her." Clearly, he wasn't quiet enough because Lily hit him upside the head.

"Don't you bet on such childish things, Sirius Black!" Remus had already begun to dig around in his bag to check how much change he had. Caught in the act, he turned to Lily with a sheepish smile. "Remus, _do not_ _bet on that_." Lily said firmly.

"I -uh- just wanted a spare quill. I've no intention of betting, Lil, really." Lily glared at him until he dug out a quill, for evidence, and set it on the table. Lily gave a little ' _hmph_ ' of victory and turned to James.

"Right, Potter, let's see what you've done wrong."

"Why assume I've done it wrong-!"

"Oh, and, Sirius, make sure not to knock my Wolfsbane Potion. Actually, it should be done now. You can take it Remus." Remus smiled at Lily, then at James who had been cut off, and put a stopper on the vial of Wolfsbane Potion, tucking it into his bag.

"Thanks, Lil."

"Anytime."

"I wish you'd do such lovely things to me, Evans. It's hardly fair." James's hand ran through her hair rather than his own and she pointed her wand at him.

"Watch yourself there, Potter."

"Such a delight you are."

~o~

"Look at us, Evans, on such a lovely date to Hogsmeade." James looped his arm through Lily's and, to his surprise, she didn't push him away.

"Don't get cocky now, Potter, this is as far as you go." Lily smirked up at James. "And, besides, if it were, as you so _desperately_ want it to be, a date, then I wouldn't have been carried from the Gryffindor common room by you and Sirius. Forcing me to abandon my studies really doesn't count as a date." Sirius snickered from beside them.

"You sound like an old married couple." Lily snorted.

"Hardly. At least I _have_ a hypothetical husband, Sirius. What have you got? Remus, perhaps?"

"Ah, her dirty fantasies appear!" James whooped and Sirius elbowed him.

"Don't you encourage her, Prongs."

"Would you remind me why your husband couldn't be here, Sirius?" Lily giggled, peering over at Sirius who ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He knew better than to try and get her to stop. Once she or James started, there was no end. Best to let it die out.

"He had to study."

"Hey! I'm not allowed to study but Remus is? How does that work?" Lily spat at James who grinned and readjusted his specs.

"I'm treating my hypothetical wife to a butterbeer, that's how it works."

"You make no sense, Potter." Lily sighed.

"The fact that you two _aren't_ dating already doesn't make sense." Sirius remarked as they entered the three broomsticks and ordered their butterbeers.

"Are you all paying separately?" Their barmaid asked and Lily smiled sweetly.

"No. James, since you so kindly offered, you're paying." James raised his eyebrows and dug out some money.

"Sure, I'll pay for you, but, Padfoot, you're on your own."

"Paying for your lady, how sweet." The barmaid giggled and Lily snorted.

" _His_ lady? He wishes."

"Ah, my apologies. You looked too much a couple to assume otherwise." James grinned.

"I'm working on it." He and Sirius turned over their money and they took their butterbeers, sitting down at a table beside a window in the back corner of the shop.

"So, why were you studying anyway?" James cast his eyes over to Lily.

"For the O.W.L.S, what else?" James nearly choked on his butterbeer. "Oh, that's adorable, James. Truly."

"What is?" Sirius asked, leaning over the table towards them.

"You can't tell?" Lily asked, partially amused and partially surprised. She turned to James. "You haven't studied one word, have you?" He grinned sheepishly.

"Busted."

"Huh," Sirius murmured, studying Lily closely.

"What?" She blinked.

"For someone who keeps denying his advances, you sure seem to know him well." Lily blushed.

"Should you really be complimenting my vigilance whilst you barely know the basic mannerisms of your so-called best friend?" Lily pushed back hastily. James grinned, like always, seeing his chance to slip in a sarcastic comment.

"Come now, kiddies, you can share me."

"Oh, shut it, Potter." Both Sirius and Lily snapped at the same time.

"Wow, being snapped at in unison, truly, I feel honoured." Lily sighed and sipped her butterbeer.

"Your sarcasm'll probably get you killed one day, James." She murmured. "I can just see you now, standing in the middle of some life threatening feud and then you get all sarcastic and _boom_ ," She clapped her hands for added dramatics. "You'll get blown to shreds by someone's wand. Or multiple wands, I haven't really thought about it all that much." James leaned his elbow against the table.

"Seems like you really enjoy imagining my torture."

"Oh, yes, an excellent pastime it is. It's rather _satisfying_ imagining the different ways in which to torture you. By my own hands usually." James hummed into his butterbeer.

"I did always like 'em fiesty." Lily's hand connected with his shoulder and he grinned at her from behind his butterbeer. She shook her head, trying to hide her growing grin.

"Prat." Lily chuckled.

"Like, in all seriousness," Sirius broke in, setting his empty glass on the table with a smile. "You two honestly _aren't_ seeing each other? Truly?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"It's complicated." She smiled and Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Tell me, how much of a chance does Prongs actually have with you?" Lily scanned her eyes over James and giggled. She leaned over to Sirius and whispered in his ear.

"More than he thinks. But it's rather fun to make him work for it." Sirius chuckled.

"You're a devil in disguise, Evans." James leaned forward.

"What am I missing? Don't be so secretive now, you two."

"Oh," Lily began, ruffling his hair. "I'm sure you can earn the answer one day, Potter."

~o~

"So, really, what will it take for you to go on a date with me, Evans?" James pulled a chair up beside Lily in the library and she looked at him over her study books, scrawling something across a piece of parchment when she realized it was just James. Lily continued to ignore him until he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb along her cheekbone. She blushed lightly and looked up at him again.

"Why do you try so hard, Potter?"

"To ask you on dates?" Lily nodded as his hand continued upwards and swept her hair back behind her ear, his fingers staying tangled in her locks. He grinned. "Because I love you, plain and simple." Despite her erratic heartbeat, Lily snorted.

"Me? You could have your choice of girls, Potter, and yet you relentlessly chase after _me_ , a mudblood?" His hazel eyes turned cold.

"Don't call yourself that, Lily." He said firmly. She'd never seen him so serious. It was if all the teasing, flirtatious, prank loving sides of him had fallen away in a heartbeat. Lily fiddled with her quill.

"The truth hurts, Potter. I _am_ a mudblood, we all know it-," He silenced her by making a bold move. His lips closed over hers gently and muffled her small gasp. It was only a chaste meeting of lips, but it made her heart flutter all the same. He stood, his hand falling from her hair.

"I warned you," He began quietly. "Never call yourself a mudblood again." And with that, James left the library and Lily pressed her fingers against her lips. A body stepped out from behind the bookcase that had separated them from the rest of the world, and Lily glanced up at the sound of chuckling.

"He really does have it bad for you, Lil." Remus smiled, sitting in the chair that James had a moment before. "I've never seen Prongs so serious about anything."

"Remus! How long were you standing there, you sneak!" Lily hit his arm lightly, her cheeks a wicked shade of crimson.

"Long enough. You need to let him in at some point, Lily." Lily frowned, her eyes searching the table top.

"Mmm, maybe you're right, Remus." She gathered her books and her quill, stuffing them into her shoulderbag. "Come back to the common room with me?" She asked and Remus nodded, standing with her.

"Of course." They reached the Fat Lady portrait and Lily racked her brain for the password. " _Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus_." Remus answered easily. Lily shook her head.

"I'll never remember that." She remarked as the Fat Lady swung open and let them into the common room. James and Sirius were sat on the couch, Peter in the armchair across from them, and Lily draped her arms around James's shoulder, resting her nose in his jet black locks. "What are we talking about?" She asked as Remus sat in the empty armchair beside Peter who was blinking at the small, barely noticable blush scattering along James's cheeks as he grabbed one of Lily's hands and grinned.

"Just Marauder stuff."

"Sounds suspicious." Lily murmured.

"It _is_ suspicious." Sirius chuckled. "Just like what you're doing, Evans." Lily shrugged.

"I'm hugging my hypothetical husband, got a problem with that, Sirius?"

" _'Hypothetical husband'_?" Peter echoed. "What's that all about?"

"Just Sirius's daydreams, s'all." James grinned across at his best mate and Sirius rolled his eyes. "Though, not to mention mine as well." He squeezed Lily's hand and she laughed.

"One step at a time, Potter."

"Whatever you say, Evans."

~o~

"Tell you what," Lily murmured to James as she and the Marauders made their way down to the Quidditch pitch for the finals next morning. "I'll make you a deal, Potter."

"And what's that, Evans?" Lily took a breath. There was no going back once she said this.

"If Gryffindor win the Quidditch finals today, I'll go on a date with you. A proper one." James stopped near the edge of the Quidditch pitch and turned to her.

"Serious? Swear on Merlin?"

"I swear on Merlin." She grinned at his awestruck face. "I'll be watching." Lily headed towards the Gryffindor stands and watched the match with the other Marauders.

"That was bold of you, Evans." Sirius said, sitting beside Lily, Remus on her other side and Peter on the other side of Remus.

"Very un-Lily like." Remus added as Lily swatted the boys away.

"Shut up, you two, the match is starting." The match drew on for a while, the Golden Snitch not making its appearence to the Seekers until half an hour through. James caught sight of it long before the Slytherin Seeker did and chased after it relentlessly. It was a full minute before the Slytherin Seeker was on his tail and James ducked to avoid a Bludger that struck the Slytherin Seeker in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. James's hand outstretched and curled around the Golden Snitch. The cheers from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were defeaning as the match ended and it was announced that Gryffindor had won the Quidditch finals. Disregarding the crowd of Gryffindors that were begining to make their way towards their team, Lily jumped over the barrier and raced over to James. She gave him a second to catch her smile before reaching up on her tip toes, winding her arms around his neck, gripping his hair, and placing her lips on his. He wasted no time in kissing her back, one arm winding around her waist, the other hand cupping her cheek as some of the Gryffindors turned their attention to them. Lily broke away, pressing her face into his chest. "Bloody brilliant, James. I knew you'd do it." He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"You put too much faith in my obvious talent." Lily chuckled. "So, about that date, let's celebrate a bit first, but I want us here at midnight. Seem fair to you?" Lily nodded against his Quidditch robes and grinned.

"Sounds perfect."

~o~

Lily spent the entire winning party cuddled up next to James on the couch, laughing and playing stupid childish games with the Marauders. By the time the clock struck midnight, Sirius had passed out from too much Firewhiskey, courtesy of the Honeydukes cellar, Peter had lost twelve games of chess to Remus, and Remus was ten galleons richer than he had been. James slipped out from underneath Lily's arm.

"Met me there in five." He murmured quietly to her and she nodded, curious. The Quidditch pitch was dark when Lily trudged her way down to James, her thoughts tangled. James grinned at her, hovering just above the ground on his broom, and Lily frowned and tugged her coat shut tight.

"Never thought you'd make it."

"It's cold and dark, James," She moaned. "I'd rather go inside and shag you than be out here."

"Is that a suggestion, Evans?" James tried, grinning even wider.

"Hardly." He motioned to the broom sitting on the dark grass beside him. "You are _not_ going to make me fly, are you?" Her eyebrows rose.

"Hence the broom. I thought you were meant to be the smart one." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hardy har." She picked the broom up cautiously and James chortled.

"It's not going to eat you, Lily."

"Oh, shut up!" Lily snapped, her cheeks going pink. "I've never _successfully_ ridden a broom before, y'know."

"Precisely. Which is why _I_ want to teach you. Mount the broom-,"

"I know _how_ to fly, James. I just don't like it! The broom never agrees with me!" He offered her his hand and, gently, she took it and hauled herself up onto the broom.

"Right, now, kick off gently." James made to let go of her hand but she gripped his tighter.

"You let me go and I will kill you."

"It'll be incredibly hard to balance your weight while pulling on mine. Trust me, Lily, _you'll be fine_." Reluctantly, she let his hand go and gripped the broom with two hands. She scuffed her shoes against the grass in the process of trying to be gentle and hovered just above the ground. "There. You're a natural." Lily scoffed.

"Wait until I fall off."

"You won't fall off, Lily."

"Couldn't we do this, y'know, when I can see what I'm doing? In the afternoon, perhaps."

"Nope. I've waited a long time for this." Lily sighed and looked at him as he was, illuminated by the high moon.

"Tell you what, I'll fly to the goals and back. Then I'm done." James chuckled.

"There's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Not at all." Gently, Lily steered herself towards the goals and circled back, feeling rather proud of herself. And then she remembered why she never flew. The broom never wanted to stop. "James, get out of the way!" She called, but he grabbed onto her waist as she went past and they tumbled off their brooms and onto the soft grass, landing next to each other. James erupted into peals of laughter as their brooms fell to the ground in front of them.

"Brilliant." He grinned through half shut eyes. Lily rolled her eyes and huffed.

"You told me I wouldn't fall."

"You didn't exactly _fall_ , per say, I just grabbed you and we landed on the grass as a result."

"Meaning that I fell." He bopped her nose.

"Be optimistic, Lily, dear." Lily laid back on the grass and James did the same, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the moon. "Is tonight the night you finally tell me your response to Snivellus and Sirius?" James asked as he lay beside her on the Quidditch pitch in the black of the night. Lily sighed and turned on her side to look at him as his hand rose to play with her hair. "Come on, Lily, I think I've earned it."

"What, with a midnight Quidditch pitch date?"

"Getting you on this date was a miracle in itself. So, I've earned it." Lily sighed dramatically, her sweet breath fanning across his cheeks. She dipped her head so that she was leaning right over his face, emerald clashing with a deep hazel.

"If I tell you my reply, you'll let me choose what we do next time." His eyebrows raised and a grin split across his face.

"So, what I gather is, there'll be a next time?" Lily pressed a small kiss to his nose.

"Perhaps." She grinned back.

"Then I'm all ears."

"Well, Mr. Potter, if you really must know," She trailed her fingers through his tousled hair. "In response to Severus, I screamed at him that you were already good enough for me, the giant prat that you are. And then I told Sirius that you had more a chance than you realized. I just enjoyed making you work for it."

"Is this you telling me that I _don't_ have to work for it any more?"

"Perhaps." She breathed again. "But I want to know _why_ you chased after me. Mudblood remarks be damned." James smiled easily and threaded his own fingers through her hair.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lily smiled and shook her head. "You just want me to say it."

"Precisely."

"Then I, James Potter, the giant prat that I may or may not be, only chased you because I love you. Though, lord only knows how you feel. You send too many mixed signals." Lily locked her lips with his and put all of her emotions into each lingering second.

"Then let me set it straight, James Potter. There's this guy I want to spend the rest of my life with. He's got really gorgeous eyes and the most infuriating habit of raking his fingers through his hair, he's an absolute show-off and thinks very highly of himself, and he has a group of friends that I'm never really sure if I want to strangle or get along with. They call him Prongs. He's a total prat but I love him very dearly." She smiled at him. "And he looks very much like he's going to cover me in kisses."

"Try and stop me."

~o~

From the Gryffindor common room, the Marauders had a pretty good view of Lily and James. Sirius, now somehow awake after his high intake of Firewhiskey, handed Remus five galleons.

"You said that Evans would kiss him first tonight." Peter handed Sirius two galleons.

"You said that it would be a Quidditch date." Peter then handed Remus three galleons. "And you bet that Lily would agree to a date before the end of the year." The boys studied their makings and pocketed them, grinning broadly at each other.

"Let's give 'em a surprise. You got the bucket of water, Wormtail?" Sirius asked and Peter gestured to the bucket of water next to the fire.

"I still don't think you should take on Lily's wrath, Padfoot. And Prongs is just as bad, truly." Sirius chuckled.

"That's what they get for snogging on the Quidditch pitch." And he promptly grabbed the bucket of water and stumbled out of the portrait hole.

"Good lord." Remus sighed and shook his head. This was going to be a long morning.


End file.
